You may not know of Shoshannah Stern from her acclaimed dramedy “This Close” on Sundance TV, but that may change after Feb. 13 with her recurring role as Dr. Lauren Riley on Grey’s Anatomy. Stern’s connection to that long-running hit TV medical drama began after she met Krista Vernoff, the current showrunner, at a meeting in 2019 when the two visited after a panel about representing disabilities in storytelling. Variety reported that the Dr. Riley character was developed with Stern in mind, and showrunner Vernoff said, “… it was most important to me that Riley was the best at what she did because, not in spite, of the fact that she’s deaf,” Shoshannah Stern brought an “electric vibe” to the set in that role.

GREY’S ANATOMY – “A Diagnosis” – DeLuca is irritated after Meredith takes over his patient Suzanne whose symptoms continue to stump the doctors at Grey Sloan. Elsewhere in the hospital, Jackson, Owen and Jo work on a couple injured in a bear attack; and Levi is hurt when Nico doesn’t want him to meet his parents, on an all-new episode of “Grey’s Anatomy,” THURSDAY, FEB. 20 (9:00-10:01 p.m. EST), on ABC. (ABC/Raymond Liu)
SHOSHANNAH STERN